Functional specialization within rostral prefrontal cortex (Area 10): a meta-analysis

One of the least well understood regions of the human brain is rostral prefrontal cortex, approximating Brodmann's area 10. Here, we investigate the possibility that there are functional subdivisions within this region by conducting a meta-analysis of 104 functional neuroimaging studies (using positron emission tomography/functional magnetic resonance imaging). Studies involving working memory and episodic memory retrieval were disproportionately associated with lateral activations, whereas studies involving mentalizing (i.e., attending to one's own emotions and mental states or those of other agents) were disproportionately associated with medial activations. Functional variation was also observed along a rostral-caudal axis, with studies involving mentalizing yielding relatively caudal activations and studies involving multiple-task coordination yielding relatively rostral activations. A classification algorithm was trained to predict the task, given the coordinates of each activation peak. Performance was well above chance levels (74% for the three most common tasks; 45% across all eight tasks investigated) and generalized to data not included in the training set. These results point to considerable functional segregation within rostral prefrontal cortex

Search for the Flavor-Changing Neutral Current Decay D0→μ+μ−D^0 \to \mu^+\mu^- with the HERA-B Detector

We report on a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decay $D^0 \to \mu^+\mu^-$ using $50 \times 10^6$ events recorded with a dimuon trigger in interactions of 920 GeV protons with nuclei by the HERA-B experiment. We find no evidence for such decays and set a 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction $Br(D^0 \to \mu^+\mu^-) <2.0 \times 10^{-6}$.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures (of which 1 double), paper to be submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of the J/Psi Production Cross Section in 920 GeV/c Fixed-Target Proton-Nucleus Interactions

The mid-rapidity (dsigma_(pN)/dy at y=0) and total sigma_(pN) production cross sections of J/Psi mesons are measured in proton-nucleus interactions. Data collected by the HERA-B experiment in interactions of 920 GeV/c protons with carbon, titanium and tungsten targets are used for this analysis. The J/Psi mesons are reconstructed by their decay into lepton pairs. The total production cross section obtained is sigma_(pN)(J/Psi) = 663 +- 74 +- 46 nb/nucleon. In addition, our result is compared with previous measurements

A Search for the Electric Dipole Moment of the Tau-Lepton

Using the ARGUS detector at the e+e- storage ring DORIS II, we have searched for the real and imaginary part of the electric dipole formfactor d_tau of the tau lepton in the production of tau pairs at q^2=100 GeV^2. This is the first direct measurement of this CP violating formfactor. We applied the method of optimised observables which takes into account all available information on the observed tau decay products. No evidence for CP violation was found, and we derive the following results: Re(d_tau)=(1.6+-.9)*10^(-16) ecm and Im(d_tau)=(-0.2+-0.8)*10^(-16) ecm, where statistical and systematic errors have been combined.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures (10 subfigures

Constraints on axionlike particles with H.E.S.S. from the irregularity of the PKS 2155-304 energy spectrum

Axionlike particles (ALPs) are hypothetical light (sub-eV) bosons predicted in some extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. In astrophysical environments comprising high-energy gamma rays and turbulent magnetic fields, the existence of ALPs can modify the energy spectrum of the gamma rays for a sufficiently large coupling between ALPs and photons. This modification would take the form of an irregular behavior of the energy spectrum in a limited energy range. Data from the H.E.S.S. observations of the distant BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 (z=0.116) are used to derive upper limits at the 95% C.L. on the strength of the ALP coupling to photons, ggammaa<2.1×10-11GeV-1 for an ALP mass between 15 and 60 neV. The results depend on assumptions on the magnetic field around the source, which are chosen conservatively. The derived constraints apply to both light pseudoscalar and scalar bosons that couple to the electromagnetic fieldFil: Medina, Maria Clementina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomia (i); ArgentinaFil: H.E.S. S. collaboration

Biomonitoring Study of Heavy Metals in Blood from a Cement Factory Based Community

Little is known about the effects of cement factory pollution, emissions, and kiln dust on contaminant exposure in human populations, including school environments, in close proximity to these point sources. In Ravena, New York, USA and vicinity, environmental pollution from a local cement plant is considered significant and substantial according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory, published in 2006, 2007, and 2010. We hypothesized that cement factory based communities, such as the one in Ravena, NY, may be differentially exposed to heavy metals, including mercury, via dust, soil, and air in addition to any contributions from fish consumption, dental amalgams, smoking habits, and occupational exposures, etc. Here we report measurements of several heavy metals in blood (Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Se and Al) and, for comparative purposes, total mercury in hair from a local (six-mile radius) population of Caucasian adults and children. We also report and synthesize local atmospheric emissions inventory information and new indoor air data (NYSERDA, 2011) from the local school which is situated directly across the street (within 750 feet) from the cement factory and quarry. In addition, to our human and environmental heavy metal results we also discuss scientific outreach coordination, and public health action opportunities that will likely have wide applicability for other community and environmental health studies confronting similar pollution issues

Biomonitoring Study of Heavy Metals in Blood from a Cement Factory Based Community

Little is known about the effects of cement factory pollution, emissions, and kiln dust on contaminant exposure in human populations, including school environments, in close proximity to these point sources. In Ravena, New York, USA and vicinity, environmental pollution from a local cement plant is considered significant and substantial according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory, published in 2006, 2007, and 2010. We hypothesized that cement factory based communities, such as the one in Ravena, NY, may be differentially exposed to heavy metals, including mercury, via dust, soil, and air in addition to any contributions from fish consumption, dental amalgams, smoking habits, and occupational exposures, etc. Here we report measurements of several heavy metals in blood (Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Se and Al) and, for comparative purposes, total mercury in hair from a local (six-mile radius) population of Caucasian adults and children. We also report and synthesize local atmospheric emissions inventory information and new indoor air data (NYSERDA, 2011) from the local school which is situated directly across the street (within 750 feet) from the cement factory and quarry. In addition, to our human and environmental heavy metal results we also discuss scientific outreach coordination, and public health action opportunities that will likely have wide applicability for other community and environmental health studies confronting similar pollution issues

Biomonitoring Study of Heavy Metals in Blood from a Cement Factory Based Community

Little is known about the effects of cement factory pollution, emissions, and kiln dust on contaminant exposure in human populations, including school environments, in close proximity to these point sources. In Ravena, New York, USA and vicinity, environmental pollution from a local cement plant is considered significant and substantial according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory, published in 2006, 2007, and 2010. We hypothesized that cement factory based communities, such as the one in Ravena, NY, may be differentially exposed to heavy metals, including mercury, via dust, soil, and air in addition to any contributions from fish consumption, dental amalgams, smoking habits, and occupational exposures, etc. Here we report measurements of several heavy metals in blood (Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Se and Al) and, for comparative purposes, total mercury in hair from a local (six-mile radius) population of Caucasian adults and children. We also report and synthesize local atmospheric emissions inventory information and new indoor air data (NYSERDA, 2011) from the local school which is situated directly across the street (within 750 feet) from the cement factory and quarry. In addition, to our human and environmental heavy metal results we also discuss scientific outreach coordination, and public health action opportunities that will likely have wide applicability for other community and environmental health studies confronting similar pollution issues